Mixer and conditioner



Feb. 8, 1938. w MOORE 2,107,544

MIXER AND CONDITIONER Filed Jan. 2, 1934 00 000 booocoooo oo uuu Patented Feb. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MIXER AND Weldon B. Moore,

Application January 2,

. 4 Claims.

a heavy drilling fluid is employed consisting of water mixed with mud. It is necessary that this mud-used in the drilling fluid be maintained at the proper consistency, and as the drilling fluid is circulated in the drilling process, the return fluid is collected in a pit and the mud is reused for mixing with drilling fluid being circulated down into. the well. During the circulating process the mud becomes contaminated, particularly when shale formations are encountered and after it is returned it must be reconditioned so as to remove the shale and other foreign matter.

It is the prime object of this invention to mix and recondition the drilling mudand to remove the objectionable foreign matter therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this character that can also be used as a cement mixer so that it may be utilized at the site of the well for mixing cement that is to be used about the well thus dispensing with the necessity of providing a separate mixer for that purpose.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the complete machine.

Figure 2 shows a partial plan view with the collector removed.

- Figure 3 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral I designates a frame having the end bearing 2 mounted on the transverse I-beam 3 at one end 50 of the frame and having a bearing 4 mounted on the upstanding leg 5 at the other end of ,the frame. Rotatably mounted in these end bearings there is the conveyor shaft 6 having drive pulley 1 fixed on one end thereof.

The other end of the conveyor shaft is su 1;-.

CONDITIONER Corpus Christi, Tex.

1934, Serial No. 704,879

rounded by a stationary tubular housing 8 having the feed hopper 9 mounted thereon. One end of the housing 8 is supported on the circular flange l carried by the bearing'Z and fitted into the adjacent end of the housing and the other end of said housing is fitted within and supported by the bearing ll whichin turn is supported on the transverse I-beam l2 of the frame.

forming a collecting chamber in which the end of the housing 8 terminates and leading downwardly from this collecting chamber is a drain pipe l4.

Aligned with the housing 8 there is a drum-like screen I one end of which is mounted on antifriction rollers assembled with the bearing H and the other end of which has a cage l6 secured thereto having the extended tubular shaft I! which is mounted to rotate in the bearing 18, and around the shaft 6 said last mentioned bearing being supported on the leg l9 of the framework.

The housing 8 and screen 9 are of approxi- This bearing II has an inside annular channel l3 mately thesame diameter and are substantially I concentric with the conveyor shaft 6. The adjacent ends of the housing 8 and screen l5 are in substantially abutting relation and fixed to the end of the screen within the chamber l3 there is an annular collar whose free end is flared and surrounds the adjacent end of the housing 8 so that the leakage through the joint between the housing and screen will be prevented from reaching the screen bearings and will be directed into the chamber I3 and through the drain pipe l4.

Fixed on the shaft l'l beyond the bearing l8 there is a driving pulley 2| through which the screen may be rotated at the required speed.

Around the screen there is a collector 22, which is flared towards its discharge end. The ends 23, 24 of the collector have central hearings to receive the screen and to form a close fit therewith so as to minimize leakage andthe large end of the collector has the drain pipe 25 leading therefrom. The collector is supported on the cross beams 26, 21 forming a part of the frame.

Adjacent the large end of the collector 22 and surrounding and enclosing the cage Hi there is a drum like guard 28 one end of which has a hearing to snugly receive the adjacent end of the screen l5 and the other end of which has a bearing to snugly receive the shaft [1. This guard is provided with an outlet chute 30.

On the shaft 6 underneath the hopper 9 there is a short conveyor. screw 3| and fixed on said shaft with the screen is a conveyor screw 3| which continues approximately from the joint between the housing 8 and the screen l5 to the cage I6. Fixed on the shaft 6 between said conveyors are the mixing paddles 32.

The screen I5 may be of any desired formation, as shown it consists of tubular foraminated material.

The bottom of the housing 8 adjacent the bearing II is provided with an opening 33 normally closed by the removable cover 34.

When used as a cement mixer, the shaft 6 only is rotated and the material placed in the hopper 9 will be driven along toward the paddles 32 by the conveyor 3| and as it passes along will be mixed by said paddles and with the cover 34 removed will pass out through the opening 33.

When the apparatus is to be used for mixing and reconditioning mud the opening 33 will be closed by the cover 34 and shaft 6 and screen l5 will both be rotated, said screen being rotated more rapidly than the shaft and conveyor.

The drilling fluid when returned from tne well will be conducted back into the hopper 9 and the necessary water and other materials as needed are also placed in said hopper. They will be mixed by the paddles 32 and will pass on along the housing into the screen, the centrifugal force caused by the high revolution of the screen forcing the finer particles of mud through the screen into the collector 22 and the mud will then be 'conducted back into the mud pit through the drain 25. Particles of shale and other undesirable particles and objects to be excluded from the drilling mud will be conveyed on by conveyor 3| into and through cage l6 and out through the chute 30.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for reconditioning a fluid drilling mud containing foreign bodies comprising spaced bearings, a conveyor shaft mounted in said bearings, means for rotating the shaft, a tubular stationary housing surrounding one end of the shaft and having a feed hopper, an intermediate bearing supporting one end of the housing, said intermediate bearing having an inside annular channel forming a collecting chamber, a drain leading from said chamber, a drum-dike screen aligned with the housing, one end of which is supported in said intermediate bearing, and the other end of which is provided with a cage having an extended tubular shaft which surrounds the conveyor shaft, means for rotating said tubular shaft and screen, the adjacent ends of the screen and housing being provided, one with an annular collar whose free end is flared and surrounds the other whereby the leakage through the joint between the housing and screen will be directed into said chamber, a collector surrounding the screen and flared toward its discharge end, said collector having end bearings to receive and form a close fit with the screen, a drum-like guard adjacent the discharge end of the collector and surrounding and enclosing said cage, said collector and guard being provided with outlets, a conveyor on the conveyorshaft underneath said hopper, a conveyor on said shaft within the screen, mixing paddles on the conveyor shaft between said conveyors.

2. Apparatus for reconditioning a fluid drilling mud containing foreign bodies comprising spaced bearings, a conveyor shaft mounted in said bearings, fneans for rotating the shaft, a tubular stationary housing surrounding one end of the shaft and having a feed hopper, an intermediate bearing supporting one end of the housing, said intermediate bearing having an inside annular channel forming a collecting chamber, a drain leading from said chamber, a drum-like screen aligned with the housing, one end of which is supported in said intermediate bearing, and the other end of which is provided with a cage having an extended tubular shaft which surrounds the conveyor shaft, means for rotating said tubular shaft and screen, the adjacent ends of the screen and housing being provided, one with an annular collar whose free end is flared and surrounds the other whereby the leakage through the joint between housing and screen will be directed into said chamber, a collector surrounding the screen and flared toward its discharge end, said collector having end bearings to receive and form a close fit with the screen, a drum-like guard adjacent the discharge end of the collector and surrounding and enclosing said cage, said collectorand guard being provided with outlets, a conveyor on the conveyor shaft underneath said hopper, a conveyor on said shaft within the screen, mixing paddles on the conveyor shaft between said conveyors, said housing having an opening at its under side and a removable cover arranged to close said opening.

3. Apparatus for reconditioning a fluid drilling mud containing foreign bodies comprising spaced bearings-a conveyor shaft mounted in said bearings, means for rotating the shaft, a tubular stationary housing surrounding one end of the shaft and having a feed hopper, an intermediate bearing supporting one end of the housing, said intermediate bearing having an inside annular channel forming a collecting chamber, a drain leading from said chamber, a drum-like screen aligned with the housing, one end of which is supported in said intermediate bearing, and the other end of which is provided with a cage having an extended tubular shaft which surrounds the conveyor shaft, means for rotating said tubular shaft and screen, the adjacent endsof the screen and housing being provided, one with an annular collar whose free end is flared and surrounds the other whereby the leakage through the joint between the housing and screen will be directed into said chamber, a collector surrounding the screen and'flared toward its discharge end, said collector having end hearings to receive and form a close fit with the screen, a drum-like guard adjacent the discharge end of the collector and surrounding and enclosing said cage, said collector and guard being provided with outlets, a conveyor on said shaft within the screen, and mixing paddles on the conveyor shaft in advance of said conveyor.

4. Apparatus for reconditioning a fluid drilling mud containing foreign bodies comprising spaced bearings, a conveyor shaft mounted in said bearings, means for rotating the shaft, a tubular stationary housing surrounding one end of the shaft and having a feed hopper, an intermediate bearing supporting one end of the housing, a drum-like screen aligned with the housing, one end of which is supported in said intermediate bearing, and the other end of which is provided with a cage having an extended tubular shaft which surrounds, the conveyor shaft, means for rotating said tubular shaft and screen, the adjacent ends of the screen and housing being provided, one with an annular collar whose free end is flared and surrounds the other, a collector surrounding the screen and flared toward its discharge end, said collector having end bearlngs to receive and form a close fit with the screen, a drum-like guard adjacent the discharge end of the collector and surrounding and enclosmg said cage, said collector and guard being provided with outlets, a conveyor on the conveyor shaft within the screen, mixing paddles on the conveyor shaft arranged in advance of said conveyor.

WELDON B. MOORE. 

